Sunday, April 30, 2017

Trump granted an exclusive interview to what I believe
were 3 Reuters reporters a few days ago. As they were sitting in the Oval Office
discussing - whatever - tax issues, immigration, climate change -
whatever - out of nowhere and totally off topic, Trump produced printed
US maps showing where he had won his electoral votes, laying the on the desk in front of each reporter. Total non
sequitur.

Taken aback, the reporters paused, and in some way
acknowledged the maps, and then proceeded to continue the conversation
as it had been.

Trump is a child. An egomaniacal, narcissistic child. He continues to
have these rallies as he did just a couple days ago in Philly. For what
purpose? Can you think of any other president who continued to have such
rallies just after being elected and sworn in to office?

Obama
and most other presidents would, from time to time go out on a rallying
tour of sorts to promote some particular piece of legislation, or to
support someone running for political office. But these rallies Trump
has and continues to have are for no other reason than to allow him to
wallow in the unabashed "love" of his rabid base. They are as useless as
his numerous week-ends spent at Mara Lago playing golf.

Sunday, April 23, 2017

If Trump and Pence blunder us into a war with North Korea - or
anyone, for that matter - through their ignorance and careless
belligerent posturing, I think both should be jailed and the death
penalty should be heavily considered.

The threats they and others
in the administration are making against North Korea are dangerous and
totally unneccessary. Kim Jong Un may actually be more volatile and
unpredictable than Trump. He and his father and grandfather before him
have spent virtually every available won
(NK's currency,) on its military. Millions of North Koreans are
apparently starving, but no matter so long as the military gets bigger
and better.

We know Un has
nuclear weapons as his disposal, and, at least publicly he appears more
than eager to use them. Even without the nukes, he has a huge # of long
range artillery pieces aimed directly at Seoul which is only like 30
miles south of the DMZ.

I also heard on the tube that he has
something like 70 submarines. Now what quality and effectiveness they
are is anyone's guess, but it still seems a real possibility that at
least a few of them could wreak havoc somewhere in the world.

The point being that any statements or movements by the US and/or our
allies could be interpreted by Un as provocation. Keep in mind, it's not
a matter of who could or would ultimately win such a conflict. North
Korea could be rendered nothing more than radioactive ash in a matter of
hours. Again, even without using nukes, Un's million man army could
probably be defeated quickly.

The issue is how many people
including South Koreans, Japanese and others in the region would be
killed? How much damage could North Korea lay on its neighbors? And,
remember, we have several military bases and thousands of our military
members in the area that would almost certainly be targeted. And it's
unclear as to whether North Korea has any assets here in or near the US.
It's also unclear how China and/or Russia would respond. Would they
back us or North Korea?

Given any thoughtful analysis, would military action against North Korea be worth those kind of losses?

Friday, April 21, 2017

Every
president, every politician, hell anyone who has been in the public eye
for any length of time has misspoken. It just goes with the territory.
We're all human, and we all screw up.

But Trump and a # of his
lap dogs have taken verbal bullshitting to another level. Many of them
can barely utter a sound that is not a lie or wrong in some substantive
way.

One just wonders when or if Trump's adorants (I think that's
a word I just made up, but it seems appropriate) will ever come to
realize that lying and generally being utterly clueless is not a good
quality in anyone, let alone a president.

Monday, April 17, 2017

Trumpsters are loving his having ordered the launching of 59 Tomahawk missiles into Syria and allowing his military to deploy that monster bomb in Afghanistan. They apparently equate it with Trump having a big cock (which we pretty much know is not the case.) They also seem to have gotten all hot and heavy in love with his threats against North Korea. "Oh man! He's so presidential! Not like that wussy darkie before him." People. Think about this. In less than 3 months Donnie... has taken us to the brink of war with a country which has nukes and is run by someone who actually may be crazier and less predictable than Trump. All this to pump up his poll #s? Wagging the dog to distract us from Russia?

His threats literally put millions of people at serious risk in South Korea and Japan including many thousands of Americans - military and civilians - in both countries. And, to believe that such a conflict would not touch us here at home, is at best naive. Americans in this country will die. Perhaps thousands or more. Does this give you Trumpees a boner? Is this the swamp draining you were hoping for? Happy days.

"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education alone will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent." - Calvin Coolidge

Thought For The Day

I'm not thorough. I'm just slow.

Food for Thought

Sometimes yes, maybe no. Sometimes no, maybe yes.

Thought For a Green Day.

"Being Irish, he had an abiding sense of tragedy, which sustained him through temporary periods of joy." -- William Butler Yeats

About Me

I am a charter member of the Boomer generation having been born in 1946. My fellow Boomers and I have lived through some incredible events - good and bad. Now my wife Jo and I are "empty nesters" faced with aging and all that comes with it. My two kids are out and about pursuing their lives. My wife and I continue to adjust to life in the slow lane.